Avengers: A different Endgame
by ActionfreakXD
Summary: This is what I thought could've happened in the MCU.
1. Endgame1

It has happened despite the efforts of the Avengers. Half of life was extinguished from the universe within a few seconds. People lost friends, families and everything else. Even the Avengers lost their teammates, their friends, their families. When King T'challa turned into dust along with his sister Shuri, Wakanda fell apart. There was no more SHIELD when Nick Fury was turned into dust. Many more heroes died because of Thanos: Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Vision and many more.

She sighed as she slumped down on the ground with her back against the wall. She called the no. again, probably for the 15th time but there was still no answer which confirmed her fear. Her best friend was most probably gone along with his family. Tears built in her eyes as she thought about her friend cum brother: Clint. She is still alive because of him because it was him who gave her the chance to redeem herself herself when no else would. But now he is gone. She let the tears fall, because she couldn't hold them any longer. She even called Fury and received no answer, same as Clint. She assumed he was gone too, the man who gave her a chance just like Clint. She closed her eyes and cried. She cried. The Black Widow cried. She felt alone and helpless.

No. She was not really. _He_ is still here. Alive and well. As long he is here there is always hope. He and her are friends and teammates. But a few years ago she thought maybe there was something more between them. She knew there is no chance that she will ever get something as good as a peaceful life but she still hoped for it and then all her hopes shattered. Despite all, she knew what she felt for _him._ It was love, which she had never felt before. That man had managed to melt the cold, dead heart of the Black Widow without even trying. At that moment she felt a comfortable hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see a concerned face looking at her.

"Nat, are you okay?" Her friend asked.

"I am alright, Bruce." She said and started to get up.

"Wait, I will leave and let you get some alone time." Bruce proposed.

Her face hardened. "We will have time to grieve later." She said standing up.

"Nat…."

"Where is Cap?" She asked, changing the subject.

Bruce sighed. "He is just there, outside. Sitting on a rock and staring towards the sky. Thor is with him too and the Racoon."

Natasha walked past him without giving him any chance to speak. She has no time to deal with personal problems now. She found Steve outside exactly as Bruce told, sitting on a large rock and staring into nothing.

"Steve…." She said and lightly squeezed his shoulder.

He didn't say anything. His head was bowed down in defeat.

"Steve…" She called again.

"They died right in front of my eyes. I could do nothing. Bucky, Sam, Wanda….. All are gone." Her murmured.

Her heart clenched at the sound of his voice being so broken. It was so unlike him. He always was being positive, being stubborn, making the impossible, possible. But not anymore. He looked exhausted and defeated. She couldn't blame him either. That man has sacrificed everything he loved to save the world. For years of knowing Steve Rogers, Natasha knows one thing about him very well: Steve Rogers will always put himself at last, even if it is going to kill him. That man is damn selfless that sometimes she wanted to yell at his face and tell him to be a little selfish. But she doubted that even with her scolding, he will change and honestly she didn't want him to either. Because that is who Steve Rogers is and that makes him the best man she has ever known including Clint. She knew how he pushed Bruce towards her. Honestly it didn't surprise her because she knew why he did it although the two of them never talked about it. He didn't even know that she knew about his involvement. She really didn't mind because she really thought that was sweet of him. If this was anyone else she would've probably decked him.

"Steve it wasn't your fault." She said truthfully.

"Yes, it was. Maybe not directly. If I wasn't against the Accords the Avengers would've remain united and maybe we could've stopped Thanos before he could lay his hands on the stones. Neither them, nor the half of the universe would've been dead by now." He spat, angry at himself.

"You can't know that. Even if the Avengers were united we couldn't have possibly stopped Thanos. He already had all the stones in his possession except the mind stone. Even the Hulk is afraid of him." She tried to calm him, comfort him.

"I am not afraid of him." Steve said.

"I know." She knelt down and cupped his face with her hands. "Hey, look at me." He did. Blue eyes met greens. "I know you. You will find a way to bring them back and undid what Thanos did. You always do."

He tried to give her a small smile but failed miserably. She saw that her words were doing no good. Still she had one more way to persuade him, to help him, to comfort him, to give him his confidence back. She felt bad for pushing him but the world needed Captain America now, more than ever. The rest of the Avengers to lead them, most importantly she needed him by her side.

"Steve will you do something for me?" She asked.

"Anything, Nat. You are my best friend." He said.

"I want you to be Captain America for one more time. The world needs you. The team needs you. I need you to be there." She pleaded.

He waited a few seconds before answering her, "I don't know whether the world or the team needs me. But for you, I will be there." He said honestly.

Natasha knew that Steve Rogers never lies and his answers caused a rise of flutter in her stomach.

"Thank you, Steve." She said, with a small smile.

"No, thank you, Nat." He said.

"For?" This time she smirked.

"For being there with me. For standing up beside me. For helping me." He said with a genuine smile. His face showed how grateful he was to her. "I was so lost without you."

His last sentence caused her eyes to widen and a gasp escape her lips. He had totally taken her by surprise and there's only a handful who can do that to her. But she quickly hid her surprise by her trademark smirk, "Any time old man."

Bruce watched the whole exchange between Steve and Natasha. He didn't interfere but he watched how she was able to persuade Steve easily. He had actually listened to her. He knew there is nothing between the two of them, but he couldn't help but feel jealous about their closeness, how well connected they are. When Natasha started to flirt with he was totally taken by surprise, but Steve had pushed her to take a chance with her. Bruce knew that despite her past, she is a good woman. He had to thought about it because there was still Betty, the woman he loved. Before he could make up his mind between Betty and Natasha, Ultron happened. Then the fear inside him won the battle and he fled. He was too coward to take a chance. But as he stayed off planet, he realized that he had really missed her presence. Her trademark smile, her red hair, red lips, her eyes. He and Thor were coming back to Earth along with other survivors of Asgard but Thanos had interrupted them. Thanos had killed Thor's brother Loki and his friend Heimdall immediately but Bruce had managed to escape. He told Dr. Strange and tony everything. When he asked about the other Avengers he came to know that the Avengers are separated because of a stupid Accord. Despite that Bruce requested Tony to contact Steve because the Avengers needed their leader. Even with his warning Thanos had won. Thanos wiped away half of the life from the face of the universe with a mere snap of his fingers. He wondered if anything happened between her and Steve when he was gone. He shook his head to clear the negative thoughts away because he knew that she and Steve are just good friends, like her and Clint.

At that moment surprising everyone, including Thor, a woman landed on the ground carrying a spaceship on her shoulder.. She was wearing a tight uniform with a Star sign in the middle of her chest.

"Where's Fury?" The strange woman asked after putting the ship down effortlessly on the ground.

"He is gone." Natasha answered, cautiously.

The door opened and out came Tony, stumbling on his feet. A woman with blue coloured skin was practically carrying him outside. Rhodey immediately went to his friend and took him from the blue skinned woman.

Few survivors of Wakanda arrived and carried Tony inside on a stretcher. Bruce followed Rhodey inside. Steve and the others wanted to go too, but they needed to talk with this woman who saved Tony's life.

"What happened?" The woman asked.

"Thanos happened." Natasha said..

"Thanos?"

"Who are you?" Thor asked, interrupting her.

The woman looked straight at Thor, not being least intimidated by Thor's large form. "Carol Danvers. You can call me, Captain Marvel."

Rhodey was back as they didn't let him inside to see Tony.

"Where were you all this time, when Thanos was kicking our ass?" Rhodey asked.

She looked at Rhodey with an annoyed expression on her face.

"There are a lot of planets beside yours and I was needed there." She then turned towards Natasha. "What did Thanos do?"

"He wiped away everyone with the help of the infinity stones." She answered truthfully.

"He has the stones?" Carol's eyes were widen in shock.

"Yes."

"What are you planning to do?" Carol asked, looking at them.

"We are trying to find Thanos." Steve said.

"You are?" Carol asked, clearly impressed by seeing the determination on the man's face.

"Steve Rogers." He said.

Carol's eyes widened. "Steve Rogers…. As in Captain America?!"

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you, Captain." Carol said shaking his hands with a small smile.

"Likewise, Captain." Steve replied.

Natasha didn't like the way Carol smiled at Steve because she knew what that smile meant. For years she had studied to read people's emotions by seeing the smallest of expressions on their faces and she could tell by the smile and of course for the excess amount of time Carol held Steve's hand in hers, Natasha could tell that this woman was attracted to Steve. And she didn't like it one bit.

"We do not know where Thanos is." Thor said.

"I know where he is." The blue skinned woman said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Carol asked.

"What makes you so sure that we will win?" Rhodey asked.

"Because you didn't have me around last time." Carol said with a smirk.

"So what should we do?" Rhodey asked.

"We find Thanos. Get the stones and bring everyone back." Steve said, his blue eyes burning with anger.

"Just like that?" Rhodey.

"Yes, just like that." Natasha said.

"I like this one." Carol said bluntly, looking at Steve.

Even with his beard everyone could see the blush on Steve's face which he tried to hide with a straight emotionless face.

"Let's get this son of a bitch." Steve said in his Captain America voice and Natasha knew then that Captain America is back.

* * *

**Note: After watching endgame, my heart broke. Natasha deserved so much more than what she got in the movie. I understand why she did it but still I felt like she shouldn't have died. So, I had to write my version of Endgame here, in fanfiction, on what could've been. **

**Anyways, this is my first attempt on writing a story on the Avengers and I will try my best. Won't drag the story too long. (Forgive my grammatical mistakes if there is any, not good in writing).**

**Don't forget to review, please.**


	2. Endgame2

It was done. The Avengers had succeeded in defeating Thanos with the help of Carol and Nebula. Steve saw Carol's display of power and she almost single handedly defeated Thanos. It was impressive. Although the Titan was weak for using the Infinity stones to wipe out 50% life in the universe, it was still great. She held Thanos in her arms long enough for Thor to finish the Titan off. Nebula helped a lot too, by giving them Thanos' location. Along with everyone she was grieving too, because she had just lost her sister Gamora. Thanos killed his adopted daughter so he could get the soul stone. The stone needed the sacrifice to reveal itself.

But there was no solution because even if Thanos was dead the stones were gone. Thanos destroyed them himself. Now, the heroes has no way to undo what Thanos did. The heroes came back but with heavy hearts. Their friends were gone. Forever.

The Avengers returned with heavy heart. Steve maintained a brave face but inside he was crumbling. He was trying to remain strong for his teammates and friends. But it was so hard. How can someone remain unfeeling when their closest peoples who were considered as family are gone forever? He had lost everything once when he went into ice. He lost his comrades, his friends and Peggy. A chance to have a family with her. After 70 years when he woke up, he almost had a heart attack when he realized that everything he loved was gone. He was all alone in this new time. A man out of time. So, when Fury offered him to work with SHIELD he agreed instantly, anything to keep his mind away from the loss he suffered. And then he met _her._

From the beginning he was intrigued by her. The way she talked, the way she moved, the way she smirked. He was attracted to her, he can't deny that. What man wouldn't? She was beautiful. She had a strong independent personality, doesn't care what others think about her. But that wasn't the only reason he had feelings for her, it was because she was one of the few people who saw him not as Captain America but just as Steve Rogers, a kid from Brooklyn. He had read her file, he knew what she did in the past before Clint saved her and gave her a chance. But it wasn't her choice. She was forced to do the bad things. She was a good person with a good heart underneath her cold and emotionless exterior. He knew it.

When they were on the run together and she asked what he wanted her to be to him, he had given her the answer which he didn't want to. It was perhaps for the first time he wasn't being honest when he told her to be his friend because he wanted more of her. Much more.

He wanted to know about her, not from her files or her background, but as a person. He get to know her alright when they worked together against Hydra after the fall of SHIELD. They became friends, good friends. At the cemetery she gave him Bucky's file and told him goodbye. He didn't want her to go. He had the desire to grab her hand and request her to stay with him. But he couldn't because he knew she needed time and space after her secrets were out all over the internet. He couldn't hold her back because of his own selfish reasons. So he let her go that day. But he will regret that day forever, as long he lives because at that moment he was given a second chance of a life and he just crushed it with his own hands.

Still a small part of him hoped that there was still a chance. So he waited. When the Avengers reunited at Stark Tower again, he saw how she was close to Banner most of the time. The eye flirting, the seductive smirks. He knew at that moment that he had lost his chance again. It was always his problem that he always waited, and never acted on his feelings. She was gone. He pushed Banner towards her, reminding himself that at least she will happy. It's all that matters wasn't it? Her happiness? Of course it was but it was perhaps the hardest thing he ever did, like ripping out his own heart with his bare hands. He maintained his distance from her from that time. All the close friendship between them was gone. At Clint's home he was climbing down the stairs when he saw them: Natasha was standing in a white bathrobe right in front of Banner looking in his eyes with a small smile on her lips. She just got out of from bath and Banner just looked flabbergasted. He didn't knew what to do. Steve had quickly averted his eyes and almost ran down the stairs because he didn't want to see them kiss….or more. It was like a punch to his gut.

But after Ultron was defeated Banner left her crushing her heart. Steve understood why he did that, but still he should have stayed.

Then after an year fighting each other….. It was difficult for him. He didn't want to but the Accords were wrong. He couldn't accept that. And after that the Avengers completely broke apart: Tony hated him, Clint went back into hiding with his family, Vision and Wanda left together, Thor went to Asgard and Natasha was gone. She disappeared.

But at least he had Sam with him. King T'Challa wanted him to stay with him at Wakanda but he couldn't. Steve didn't want him to get into any kind of trouble because of him. So he left with Sam and remained low and one day she appeared out of nowhere. He had no idea how she found them. When he asked she only smirked at him and said, "I have my way, Rogers."

Right, he had to remind himself then and there he was just "Rogers" to her. Not "Steve". From that time the three of them stayed together but not for long because then Thanos happened.

He got out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his arm. It was Captain Marvel or Carol Danvers.

"Captain with the stones gone what should we do?" Carol asked.

"Please call me, Steve. I am not Captain America anymore." Steve said.

Carol smiled slightly, "Only if you call me, Carol."

Steve smiled back. "All right, Carol."

"Do you have a plan, Steve? You know what I mean…." She said.

"No. With the stones gone, there's nothing we can do." Steve sighed.

Carol took Steve's hands in hers which took him by surprise. "I understand your pain, Steve. I wish…" Carol stopped when she saw from the corner of her eyes, a certain someone was glaring daggers at her. She shook her head and smiled. "Is she your girlfriend, Steve?"

Steve looked flabbergasted at her question. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes, the red headed woman over there who was glaring daggers at me." She smirked.

Steve turned his head to look at Natasha but she wasn't there anymore. He spotted her going inside. He let out a bittersweet smile, his eyes full of regret and sadness. "No. We are friends. Good friends." He answered honestly.

Carol didn't miss the pain and regret in Steve's expression. "But you love her." She stated bluntly.

"Do you have mind reading powers too?" Steve asked curiously.

Carol laughed at his question. "No, I don't."

* * *

Their friends and families are gone forever, everyone accepted that, and parted in different ways. Natasha's emotions were running high. She thought that they would be able to get their hands on the stone and bring back who they lost. But without the stones it was not possible, anymore. Whatever hope she had was shattered within a second at Thanos' confession. For the prying eyes she kept control of her emotions and didn't break down then and there. She held on. The only real family she had was gone - the Bartons. She slumped down on a bed and cried. She let all her emotions out at that moment, not holding back. At that moment she was just Natasha, a normal woman who just lost her family, not Black Widow. What she didn't realize was that the door to her room was open and someone was watching her silently with sad eyes the whole time. Then his expressions hardened and the sorrow on his face was gone, now filled with determination. The person left as quietly he appeared. Natasha just got the feeling that someone was watching her, so she turned to face towards the door but there was no one for her to see. She hid her face into the pillows and begin to sob occasionally - Clint, Laura, their kids, Fury, Maria… everyone was just gone.

She pulled her head up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Nat…." The person called to her in a comforting manner.

It was Banner.

"Were you watching me crying from the door?" She asked rubbing away her tears.

"Well, not really, um, yeah." Bruce stammered.

"Hesitating?" She asked.

"Yeah." Bruce agreed. He just couldn't barge in Natasha's room without permission.

"You're welcome Bruce, as a friend….." She smiled a little.

At her statement Bruce turned towards her with sharp eyes. "Friends? Just friends Nat? After everything we went through?"

"After everything we went through?" Natasha questioned him, now angry. "There was just a spark between us but it died after you left."

"Nat…. I am sorry."

"No, Bruce. I really thought that there was something between us. More than friendship. I felt somewhat connected to you. I shared some secrets with you which I didn't even share with either Fury, Clint or… I trusted you. I tried to give you my heart, I was even ready to run away with you from this life, but you did prove me wrong by running away." She finished and turned away from him.

"Natasha, I was scared. I wanted to stay, believe me. I was too afraid to get close because of the other guy. Besides I needed some time to think." Bruce tried to explain.

Natasha turned towards him. The angry expression on her face was gone. "I understand. Believe me, I do. I did back then too." She gave him a sad smile. "You needed to think about Betty Ross, the woman you truly love."

"I….."

"Bruce you needn't explain. I understand more than you think. But I must apologize to you too." She sighed.

"Apologize? For what?" He asked confused.

"I guess I was about to use you as an replacement for what I really wanted but I can never have. I thought about you and me for a long time. It wasn't a right thing to do back then. It was selfish of me to do so, but I just wanted to…" She stopped for a moment. "I guess everything happens for a reason. Even we started something between us it wouldn't have lasted." She explained.

"Why? Was it because of the other guy?" Bruce asked, his face sad.

"No. It was nothing to do with him." She said.

"Then? Nat….. I don't understand. Please explain…. Nat."

"Maybe some other time, Bruce. Not just now. Please…." She requested.

"I understand. You are thinking about Clint, aren't you?" Bruce sighed.

"Yes, he and his family." She said.

"He has a nice family." Bruce said with a small smile.

"He had…..not anymore. Everyone is gone."

* * *

**1 WEEK LATER**

Tony was still recovering from the trauma he went through. He almost died. If it wasn't for that woman, he would've died. But who was that?

His thoughts halted when the door to his room opened and woman came in with a worried look her face. Seeing her Tony smiled. She can really make his worst days good in a matter of a few seconds.

"Hey." Pepper said, as she sat down on the chair beside his bed.

"Hi." Tony said with tired voice.

"How are you doing Tony?" She asked, looking in his eyes.

"I am good, Pepper. Just exhausted. I need to retire." He said.

Pepper's eyes shot up. "Then?"

"I told you what I want Pepper." Tony murmured.

"Really? So you want a kid? With me and settle down?" Pepper smiled.

"Yes." Tony smiled a little.

"Are you proposing to me Mr. Stark?" She said with a small smirk.

"I guess, I am. Yeah." Tony said.

"I certainly expected a better proposal than this Mr. Stark." She said still smiling.

"I….." Tony stopped as he remembered something. "Pepper where are the others? Are they okay?"

Pepper sighed.

"They are good far as I know. They killed Thanos but the stones are lost, Tony." Pepper said. "I can't tell you about all of them but I can name a few, like Rhodey, Bruce and Natasha are still here."

Tony smirked. "I hope those two don't get hitched while I am still here."

"Apparently, not. They barely see each other's faces these days. Carol has gone off world but she maintains connection with us. She took Nebula and the Racoon with her too." Pepper explained.

"I really need to thank that woman. I would have been dead if she wasn't there." Tony sighed. "What about Cap?"

"He disappeared. No one knows where he has gone. Even Natasha has no knowledge. Steve came to visit you, Tony before he left. When I asked him where he was going he just said that there's something he need to do. Alone."

"Stubborn man." Tony murmured.

"But a good man." Pepper added, staring at Tony.

Tony grumbled under his breath, "Whatever." He reluctantly agreed. He still hadn't forgiven Steve for hiding the fact that his best friend had killed Tony's parents.

* * *

_**Note: The story didn't progress here much. I had explored the emotions and feelings of the heroes who are still alive. I would also like to mention very important point here, please don't compare the behaviour of the characters here with the film.**_


	3. Endgame3

Carol didn't feel it right to let Steve leave. She knew this was hard for him, much more than she could comprehend. But who was she to stop him? She barely knew the man but that didn't stop her from admiring him. She couldn't even deny her attraction to him, which she knew was wrong at this time where there is so much loss. But she couldn't help it. From their brief encounter she can tell that she had never met any man like him. He was so different from any other man she had met in her whole life. She always had belief that men were just pigs well, until she met Nick Fury. She knew Nick Fury was a man whom she could trust and she was right. Nick Fury was a great man but even he can't hold a candle when it comes to Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. The man behind Captain America was everything she learned about him: kind, brave, honorable, noble and she didn't even consider how handsome he is. Yes, she had read about him in history when she was a Pilot. He was her inspiration. She was bullied many times during her training as Pilot but she never gave up, which she had learned from Captain America. But this man who just left the compound looked like he gave up whatever hope he had. She could understand the reason partially.

As she was thinking about Steve she felt someone came just beside her: It was Dr. Bruce Banner.

"So he left?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, he said he needs to sort out something by himself." Carol said.

"It's unfair to ask more of him you know. When he woke up from ice he realized that he had lost everything. Then he got us. The Avengers were his family. After a year he also got his best friend back, Bucky. Now Thanos had destroyed everything."

Carol nodded. "I understand. But even among Avengers and his friends he craved something more, actually someone more."

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"He loves her." Carol said bluntly.

Bruce sighed but smiled slightly. He knew that Carol was right. "You know what's funny? It was him who encouraged me to pursue Natasha."

Now Carol was more than surprised. Why would someone cause pain to himself?

Bruce smiled again. "Because when Natasha began to flirt with me, he observed that she was kind of happy or she tried to be. So he pushed me towards her because her happiness was the only thing that mattered to him even if it caused him pain. That's who he is." Bruce paused then told Carol what he knew was true, " And she loves him too."

"Then why all these complications?" Carol asked genuinely confused now.

"Nat… she has some issues. She thinks that she is not good enough for him." Bruce snorts. "If anyone can make Steve happy, its her. She understands him like no one else."

Carol sighed. "I am glad that I never felt anything romantic towards anyone ever."

* * *

**FIVE YEARS LATER…..**

So much time has passed since that day, when half of the universe ceased to exist. Yet, they are still living their lives but it wasn't the same. There was no trace of happiness around the world. Everyone who survived the snap lost someone important that day, that includes Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow.

The world only sees her as a ruthless killer, who will go to any length to complete her missions. The Black Widow has no emotions. It _was _true at a time when she was a Red Room agent but after Clint rescued her and gave her a chance to redeem herself, she took it. She changed… and thinking about Clint was painful. She had found him after a year of the snap. He had changed completely. The loss of his family destroyed his emotions. He is now just the shell of a person he once was. Natasha mourned for them too. They were her family too. Currently he stays in the Avengers Headquarters, but he does not talk to anyone. The Clint she knew has died.

Natasha had tried to comfort him often and if she is honest with herself she did a good job doing it. Truthfully she was surprised at her ability of comforting another human being. This was not her, in the past but this is who she is now. She is Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow, an Avenger, a heroine as Steve used to say.

Natasha was sitting on a chair in her office staring at the ceiling. Her heart broke at the thought of him again, at the possibility of what if…

Natasha knew that Steve has no idea just how much he changed her because even if he is the best tactician out there he can be a clueless idiot when it comes to the matters of women and their emotions. She itched to tell him how she really felt but right now she couldn't risk her heart anymore. After getting her heart broken by Banner, then losing her loved ones, she had no desire to go down that path again. Besides she didn't deserve him, he is too good for an assassin like her.

Steve doesn't live in the headquarters though. He lived in his apartment in Brooklyn. She asked him several times but he never answered that question. Deep inside she knew. She knew that he was giving her and Banner some space, because Steve still thinks that she is still involved with Banner emotionally. It's true that she felt something for Bruce at some point. But it was never love, not even close. What she felt for Banner was long gone, but what she felt and still feels for _him_ is still there, buried deep inside her heart and she doubted that it will ever go away. She knew what that feeling is. It terrified her, makes her vulnerable, makes her weak but at the same time it makes her strong. It was love. Deep and Pure. She has never felt something like this for anyone in her life except for him.

"Hey, Nat." She heard a familiar voice.

Speak of the devil.

She quickly rubbed away her tears and gave him a small smile. "Hey."

Too late. He had spotted the broken expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" His face was full of concern.

"Yeah. I am fine. Just some old memories." She reassured him with a smile.

"So….how is Clint?" He asked.

"He is doing alright."

"I know its hard for him. Losing his very own family. His wife and kids…. I wouldn't know what I would've done in his place. If I lost my kids or my wife….." Natasha's stomach flipped as Steve looked right into her eyes when he said the word wife. There was something in his eyes which she couldn't read. Something unsaid. "He is stronger than we give him credit for. If I was in his place I would've probably gone mad."

Natasha tried to ease the tension that was forming in her room. "How do you know that Rogers? Did you meet someone special and planning to get hitched?" She asked with a smirk, while leaning forward on her desk.

"I have met her long ago. But as always I was too late to act and missed my chance." He said, his blue eyes boring into the green ones of Natasha.

Natasha couldn't say anything. She was speechless. She knew he wasn't talking about Peggy. Certainly not Sharon. She knew who he meant and she was stunned. She didn't notice that their faces were so close that their noses were almost touching.

"Steve….. Who is this woman to you?" She whispered. "I know your true love is Peggy Carter."

"Peggy was my past. She was what could be. It's true that I cared for her a lot. But this woman changed my life completely the moment she entered. She is kind, brave, loyal, passionate and most of all stubborn. Most importantly she has a great heart." He stopped for a moment. "What I felt for Peggy was nothing compared to what I feel for her. She means everything to me." Steve answered honestly. His eyes never moved away from the green ones in front of him.

"Is she beautiful?" Natasha whispered again. She still couldn't believe what she heard from his mouth. It was beyond her dream.

"She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Steve answered honestly. "But….."

"Yes?"

"I know that she doesn't feel the same." Steve answered.

Natasha smiled sadly. Only if he knew how much he means to her. "She loves you, Steve."

"How can you tell?"

"I am a woman, Steve. I can tell."

"Then should I kiss her?" He whispered. His heart was beating faster than ever.

But before she could answer an image appeared on her comm and they broke apart.

"Hey anyone there? Come on it's me, Scott. Ant man. We met years ago."

It turned up Scott was in the Quantum Realm and survived the snap but the most astounding thing was he didn't spend five years in the realm, it was just a matter of hours for him. According to him, the time flows differently in Quantum Realm. After learning he explained that they could travel back in time through Quantum Realm and bring the stones back so they could undo what Thanos did. Steve eyes light up instantly.

"You sure about that?" Steve asked.

"I...Yes. But we will need a bigger and more powerful machine." Scott said.

"Maybe Bruce or Tony can help us?" Natasha offered.

Steve nodded.

* * *

Two days later they had already built a machine. But it was not tested yet. They went to Tony but he refused to help. He refused to leave his family. Bruce helped them but he couldn't go as he was the only one who could operate the machine.

"I volunteer." Scott said.

"No." Steve cut in. "This is my responsibility as the leader of the Avengers."

Natasha immediately disagreed with Steve. "Steve if something goes wrong, you won't be able to fix it."

"Then I am willing to take the risk, Nat. This is my choice, my responsibility." Steve stayed stubborn.

Natasha respected him too much too argue with him. She knew what he said was true but her heart was getting in her way. She was not ready to lose Steve, not now, not ever.

"All right. Steve I am going to send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour then get you back in 10 seconds." Bruce said as Steve started to put the suit on.

Steve put on his helmet. His eyes travelled between his friends, but lingered on Natasha for a fraction of seconds longer. Natasha bit her lower lip nervously.

"Yes, you do, Captain America." Scott cheered him up.

And then with a press of a switch Steve was gone. On countdown of five they brought him back but a much much younger Steve, his age was probably around fifteen.

"Ah guys?" The younger Steve asked.

Natasha couldn't help but smile as she looked at the Steve without serum. He looked cute and handsome even without the serum.

Bruce send him back again. With a couple of tries, they managed to get him in his current state but something was wrong. As soon as he appeared, he dropped onto the floor. Natasha immediately hurried to him and pulled his helmet off.

"Steve, you alright?" She asked by placing her left hand on his back. But there was no answer. He just stared at her face with unshed tears in his impossible blue eyes.

"Steve?"

Then the broken expression from his face was gone. "I am alright."

They turned around by the sound of a car stopping. It was Tony with Steve's shield in his hand.

Tony came near them and handed the shield to Steve.

"This is yours." He said.

"I can't." Steve refused.

"I made it for you." Tony refused to listen to Steve and if we are to bring everyone back you will need it.

And then the two of them shook hands with smiles on both their faces. Natasha ran towards them and hugged them both.

* * *

With Tony creating a perfect time travelling GPS for them they were ready within a day to undo what Thanos did. Natasha and Clint travelled to Vormir together to get the soul stone. It was an isolated land with endless valleys, streams of water and long snowy mountains. They knew where their target was.

"You ready?" Clint asked, looking at her beside him.

"Yeah, but this won't be fun." She said looking towards the mountains.

After several minutes or more than an hour they reached the top of the mountain.

"Welcome." A voice greeted them.

Within the blink of an eye Natasha had her guns out while Clint had his blade out, ready to strike. A hooded cloaked figure was standing right in front of them.

"Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint son of Edith." The figure greeted them calmly.

"Who are you?" Natasha asked.

"Consider me a guide to you and to all the guardian of the soul stone." The figure replied.

"All right… tell us where it is and we will be on our way." Natasha said, with her gun still pointing towards the cloaked figure.

"Ohhh…" The figure stepped forward and then Natasha and Clint saw the face of the figure. It was the Red Skull. "If only it was that easy."

"You?" Natasha's face turned into anger. "Steve told me all about you."

"Yes...of course Captain Rogers. You have his heart and he has yours." Several emotions ran over Natasha's face but she remained silent because she knew what the Red Skull told was true.

Clint just looked between her and the villain wide eyes. "Wait...what?"

"Not now, Clint." Natasha stopped him with a glare of her own. "Tell us how to get the stone."

The Red Skull brought them at the very top of the mountain. He stood at the edge of the mountain before looking at their way. "What you seek lies in front of you." Clint and Natasha looked down but there was nothing. The Red Skull continued. "As does what you fear. The stone will be available to one of you. As for the other…. In order to take the stone you have to lose what you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul for a soul."

A few minutes later, Natasha was sitting on top of a rock while Clint kept his eyes on the Red Skull. "Maybe he is making things up." Clint said.

"No." Natasha shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Because he knew your dad's name?"

"I didn't." She replied softly. "Thanos left this place with the stone but without his daughter. It's not a coincidence."

"Yeah." Clint agreed looking towards the sky.

"Whatever it takes." Natasha replied what Steve said to them before they departed.

This time Clint looked at her directly.

"You love him." It was not a question but a statement.

Natasha smiled and looked at Clint. "More than I ever loved anyone."

"Whatever it takes." Clint repeated.

This time Natasha got up and came near Clint. "If we don't get that stone half of the universe remains dead."

Clint nodded. "Then we both know who's gotta be."

"I guess we do." She agreed.

"I am starting to think we mean different people here."

"For the last five years we have been trying to get right here. That's all have been about. Bringing everybody back." She paused. "I am trying to save your life idiot."

"I've done some bad things in my life, Natasha." Clint argued.

"Well, too bad I don't judge people based on their mistakes. And everybody deserves a chance. _He _taught me that. You taught me that. So don't you dare…." She warned him.

"You are a pain in my ass. You know that?"

She nodded with tear filled eyes.

"Okay you win." Clint said.

Natasha nodded but then without giving her any chance he took her down and started to run towards the edge of the cliff. It only took a second for Natasha to register what Clint was trying to do. She got up and brought him down with her widow bytes. As she tried to get past him, he tackled her down to the ground. They both struggled as they tried to bring each other down without doing any permanent damage. An arrow shot out of Clint's bow which was intended to knock Natasha down as she was on her feet again. But Natasha dodged it at the last second. The arrow didn't miss, it hit another mark and then there was an inaudible groan and a clatter sound of something metallic falling on the ground.

"What was that?" Natasha asked looking towards the source of the noise.

In the next moment all they saw was a blur of blue and red as a figure ran past them at incredible speed and jumped off. Natasha's eyes widened in horror as she realised who the figure was.

"Noooo." She screamed at the top of her lungs.

In the next second they both heard a bone shattering sound and then all was silent.

She ran to the edge of the cliff with Clint beside her and looked down. There down the mountain lay a human body and a pool of blood was slowly coming out from where the figure fell down.

"STEVE…." She screamed and was ready to jump off behind him but Clint grabbed her from behind around her waist and held her tight.

"No...No..Let me go. Steve. Steve." Then she landed on her knees with her eyes closed and begin to cry like there was no tomorrow. "Please...no… Steve."

Clint held her tightly in his arms both in comfort and fear that she will jump and give up her life. Clint turned her around and gathered her in his arms. She hugged him back and begin to cry like a child who has lost everything. There was nothing she held back this time as she let her emotions out.

"A noble sacrifice, for the one he loved." The Red Skull said.

Clint held onto her as her whole body shook as she cried. She placed her head on his shoulder and then she spotted something on the ground a few feet away. Still sobbing she let go of Clint and crawled towards the object on the ground. She would've recognized it from afar if it wasn't for the tears blurring her vision. It was Steve's watch. She grabbed it from the ground and held it against her chest as more tears fell from her eyes. Clint was beside there watching her with a sad expression on her face. She didn't mean to but the pressure of her hand on the watch caused it's lid to open. She fully expected to see a smiling picture of Peggy Carter in there but that wasn't there, instead there was a smiling sketch of her face. It was Steve's drawing. She could see that he had drawn her perfectly. She just couldn't bear this grief. It was too much for her but before she could decide what to do there was a flash and she was sitting in a pool of water. She looked around and found that Clint wasn't there anymore.

"Clint?" She called but there was no one.

Then she felt it. Something in her hand. She slowly opened her palm to see the yellow stone glowing on her palm. She has the soul stone but at a heavy cost. She held the stone tightly in her hands and one name came out of her lips as sob, "Steve…."


End file.
